Weddbook

Andrea and Jacob's wedding at The Biltmore Santa Barbara

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Andrea and Jacob's traditional wedding in Santa Barbara took place at the The Biltmore with an outdoor ceremony and a ballroom reception. The sun shone down on the day, coordinated by KB Events, and filled with white and pink florals and classic details like the Santa Barbara String Quartet playing the couple's favorite Beatles songs as the bridal party processed down the aisle. The standout, though, is Andrea's beautiful Monique Lhuillier ballgown-so beautiful!! Lucky for us Anna Costa was on hand to capture all the delightful details of the day in these images. Enjoy!

What made the wedding special and unique?

What made our wedding special was the fact that so many of our family and friends traveled to be there. It was great to share our special day with so many of our friends and family. What also made it special was the beautiful location. The Four Seasons Biltmore at Santa Barbara's beautiful grounds provided an excellent setting for our wedding.

Tell us about the dress and how you found it!

I wore a Monique Lhuillier wedding ball gown. Before I found my wedding dress, I had gone to several bridal shops and tried on numerous wedding dresses. However, I just didn't find one I completely loved. Randomly one day after lunch with my mom and sister, we walked by the bridal boutique at Nordstrom and I saw a beautiful dress on display. I tried it on and knew that was the dress I wanted to wear on my wedding day. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. The color, which was a mix of ivory and latte, in addition to the beading appliqués on the bodice and skirt gave the dress a bit of a vintage look. The skirt was my favorite part of the gown because it was asymmetrically layered, which gave it a more modern feel. Needless to say, it was a very romantic dress.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

One of the personal touches was our selection of the music. We had the string quartet play some of our favorite Beatles songs (Across The Universe, Eight Days A Week) during the procession. We also took time deciding what would play during our first dance. It was important for the song to be a classic; something soulful and something we'd want to hear years from the day. We chose Sam Cook's Nothing Can Change This Love. Also, during the ceremony, we did the lasso and arras ceremonies, both of which are rooted in Filipino culture and is an upheld tradition in Andrea's family. The lasso symbolizes lifetime unity or the everlasting union of the bride and groom when they officially become husband and wife, as well as the symbol of marital protection. The coins were to symbolize our promise to constantly provide for one another.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The most memorable part of the day for us was the ceremony. Our officiant, Father Battaglia, made our ceremony fun and so meaningful. Being able to say our vows to each other in front of all our loved ones really was special. Also, Andrea and I knew that our wedding day would fly by in an instant, so anytime we realized an important event was occurring (signing our marriage license, first dance, cutting the cake) we would look at each other and say "bask in the moment!" so that we could take the time to enjoy our surroundings, the company of our loved ones, and each other.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Andrea and I met at UCLA, specifically while walking around Drake stadium. We actually lived on the same floor and saw each other all the time in the common study hall. It was there that we became best friends over time and eventually realized we should be together. Four years later, when I was in the middle of law school and Andrea had just started a PhD program, I took her back to UCLA and proposed to her on the top of Janss Steps, which sits on top of a hill overlooking much of the campus, including Drake stadium where we first met.